1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of video data recorders and, more specifically, to digital video data recorders such as may be used to record and play back video signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video data recorders are well-known in the art. Initially, video data recorders were designed to record video signals on video tape and to allow play back of recorded video signals from the tape. Of course, video tapes require sequential recording and playback limiting the functionality of such machines.
Disk-based video playback machines have been introduced such as video disks and more recently digital video disk machines. These machines may be generally characterized as providing a removable randomly accessed disk allowing for the storage and playback of video signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,428 (the '428 patent) describes a video recording and playback device. The described system provides for simultaneous playback and recording of video signals on a randomly accessed recording medium. By allowing simultaneous recording and playback of video signals and by allowing for random access of the recording medium, additional functionality may be provided beyond that realized by a video tape recording machine.
While the '428 patent describes a randomly accessed video recording and playback device, it fails to describe or suggest significant functionality which may be implemented in such a device. Thus, what is needed is an improved video data recorder having increased functionality.
Channel guides are well-known in the art. A channel guide is a catalog of television broadcasts together with the times and channels for play of each television broadcast. Perhaps one of the best known channel guides is the TV Guide.TM. channel guide which has been available by subscription and in magazine racks for years. More recently, on-line versions of channel guides have become available. These all have in common that they list titles of television programs, together with the time and channel on which the television program will air. In addition, the channel guide may provide a short synopsis of the program and other information such as names of actors, directors, program length, rating information, parental control information, whether the program is new programming or a rerun, and information categorizing the program (e.g., action movie, children's movie, sitcom, news broadcast, etc.).
Unfortunately, there has not been sufficient integration of the channel guides with the record and playback capabilities of video data recorders.